Traction device for the neck



Oct. 1, 1957 H. E. GRAHAM 2,808,049

TRACTION DEVICE FOR THE NECK Filed Jan. 8, 1954 United States Patent Ufifice 2,808,049 Patented Oct. ll, 1%57 TRACTION DEVICE FOR THE NECK Harold E. Graham, Claremont, Calif. Application January 8, 1954, Serial No. 402,857

23 Claims. (Cl. 128-75) My invention rel-ates to a novel neck traction structure by which traction can be applied to the neck through pressure applied to the jaw and occiput areas of the human head.

Present traction procedures use a canvas harness with interconnected slings extending beneath the chin and in contact with the back of the head. These slings usually engage the sides of the face and head and are uncomfortable, annoying and even oppressive because of the sideward pressures applied and the undue confining of areas that are normally free of restraint. Talking is virtually impossible while any large tractional pull is being applied.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a head-engaging device which is comfortable and easily attached without the necessity of being slipped downwardly over the head; also to provide such a device which is characterized by contact substantially exclusively with the jaw and occiput areas of the head and which exerts no sideward pressures on the cheeks or other side portions of the head. A further object is to provide such a device which permits free rotation of the head forexercise or change in viewing direction during traction; also a device in which some degree of talkingis possible while the traction is applied.

It is a feature and object of the invention that pressure is applied to the jaw and occiput areas through flexible elements mounted to span openings or spaces provided by frame members that are detachably connected together at an appropriate angle. Another feature and object is the provision of a bail as a part of a traction means, this bail having depending portions spaced from the sides of the head and connected in unique relationship to the frame members, preferably by being directly connected to one frame member and through it or its flexible element to the other frame member.

In conventional traction procedures, a rope is connected to the canvas harness and passed over a pulley means above the patients head to a weight. The pulley means is often connected in a doorway and unless at least two pulleys are used, the weight occupies the position which should be occupied by the patient if the traction is to be applied substantially in line with the upright backbone, as is desirable.

It is an object of the invention to provide a neck traction structure that is readily portable and usable by being attached to any straight chair or to many types of lounge or arm chairs. In this connection the invention desirably eliminates all pulleys and is entirely self contained, providing a spring acting on a rocking member, one end of which is adjustably connected to a suitable head-engaging device. It is an object to provide such a structure; also to provide unique arrangements for adjusting the traction and for detachably attaching an upright support member to the back'of a chair in which the patient is to receive treatment.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the following description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the invention in use and when attached to a chair;

' Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the head-engaging device shown in Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View illustrating the quick opening link forming a part of the traction means of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the upright support member, taken as indicated by the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55'of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

.The invention includes a head-engaging device, indicated by the numeral 10, detachably connected to the head 11 of the patient and serving to apply traction to the neck 12 .while the patient is seated in a chair 14 having two.rear legs 15, a seat 16 and a back 17. The headengaging device 10 is characterized by contact substantially exclusively with the jaw and occiput areas 18 and 19 of the head.

The head-engaging device 10 includes a front or jawengaging member 20 having a bifurcated or U-shaped frame 21, usually formed of heavy wire or from bar stock, having side portions or arms 22 and a front portion 23. The space or opening between the arms 22 is spanned by a flexible jaw-engaging element 24 composed of a sheet 25 of flexible material secured to the side and front portions 22 and 23 and having a throat-engaging edge portion 26, preferably V-shaped or cut away in its central portion. While the sheet 25 can be made of various flexible materials stitched or adhered to or around the portions 22 and 23, I prefer to employ a fabric-backed thermosetting or thermoplastic sheet with its sides looped around the corresponding portions 22 and 23 and adhered to themselves in zones just within the frame 21. The connection between the sheet 25 and the frame 21 may extend through the rounded corners of the latter, but I prefer to cut the sheet to leave openings 27 at such corners so that the sheet spans the side portions 22 in a hammocklike fashion and is also connected on a third side to the front portion 23. The portion of the sheet 25 spanning the portions 22 constitutes a resilient pad which conforms to the natural contour of the jaw when traction is being applied, the edges of the U-shaped edge portion 26 usually rolling downwardly to conform to the contour of the throat.

Similarly, the head-engaging device 10 includes a rear or occiput-engaging member 30 having a bifurcated or U-shaped frame 31 formed of material similar to the frame 21 and having side portions or arms 32 terminating rearwardly in a rear portion 33 curved and positioned to conform generally to but be spaced a short distance from the rear of the head 11 during application of traction. The space or opening between the portions 32 within the curved rear portion 33 is spanned by a flexible occiput-engaging element 34 composed of a sheet 35 of flexible material secured to the portions 32 and 33 and a resilient pad adhered thereto and covering substantially all of the spanning portion of the sheet 35, this pad being formed of sponge rubber or other soft deformable material. The occiput-engaging element 24 conforms to the contours of the occiput area of the head 11 during application of traction, the sheet being of a material and being secured to its frame in a manner similar to that described for the sheet 25.

The front and rear members 20 and 30 are mechanically and detachably connected together at an obtuse angle with their respective elements 24 and 34 positioned for pressural engagement with the jaw and occiput areas 18 and 19, thereby forming an assembled structure. This is preferably accomplished by a suitable connecting means 38 which desirably cooperates with a bail 39 of a traction means 40. The connecting means 38 may be of any construction permitting connection of the members 20 and 30 after movement together to surround the neck 12. In the preferred arrangement, the arms 32 of the rear or occiput-engaging member 30 extend beneath and in contact with the flexible element 24 of the front or jaw-em gaging member 20. Additionally, the arms 32 are substantially parallel but are disposed in the space between the arms 22 of the front member, thus tending to increase the tautness of the sheet during application of traction and tending to assist in causing the sheet 25 to deform to the contour of the jaw. At the same time, the connecting means shown serves to detachably connect the paired arms 22 and 23 on each side of the head. It also prevents separation of the paired arms during application of traction.

The preferred connecting means 38 provides means for connecting the paired arms 22 and 32 to the depending legs 42. of the bail 39, preferably to. inturned portions 43 of such legs. Each inturned portion provides a clamp means adjustably attached to the adjacent arm 32 of the frame 31, preferably formedbya bent back portion 43a of each depending leg looped around the adjacent arm 32 and clamped thereto by tightening a screw 44. The preferred connecting means provides hook means for attaching the arms 22 to the depending legs 42, best formed by bent portions 45 at the rear end of each arm 22 so that the rear portion of each such arm extends beneath and is detachably locked to the corresponding inturned portion 43 of the legs 42 of the bail 39. By adjusting the position that the clamp means embraces the arms 32 it is possible to adjust the size of the neck-receiving opening of the device and also the zone of the occiput area engaged by its pad.

The head-engaging device is connected to the head as follows: with the jaw and occiput-engaging members 20 and disconnected, the latter is positioned in back of the head with the arms 32 extending forwardly. The jawengaging member 20 is then moved rearwardly while ata somewhat less than normal obtuse angle relative to the member 30, the rear portions of the arms 22 moving beneath the inturned portions 43 until the bent portions 45 snap in place in back thereof. The member 20 is then lowered to the normal position shown in Fig. 2. The later-applied traction force will not unlock the members 20 and 30.

The traction means 40 includes also a support means and an elastic means for pulling upwardly on the bail 39 to apply tension to the cervical spine. Thus, the invention includes an upright hollow support member secured uniquely to the chair 14 and formed of tubular stock with its upper end bent forwardly to form an arm 51 terminating in bifurcations 52 providing a pivot axis represented by a bolt or rivet 53. Pivoted'to the latter is an intermediate section of a rocker member 55 having a forward end connected to the head-engaging device 10 by flexible and adjustable means to be described and having a rear end operatively connected to an elastic means within the support member 50. This elastic means is preferably a tension spring 57 with its lower end fixed or adjustably connected to the support member 50 as by a pin or rivet 58. l

The upper end of the spring 57 is connected to a flexible member shown as a bead chain 59 which extends through an upwardly-facing opening at the bend of the support member 50 and is adjustably connected to the rear end of the rocker member 55. The adjustable connection may include a heavy wire 60 looped around an anchor screw 61 (Fig. 4) and having its free ends bent upward or outward to form a bifurcated hook means 62, which can be connected to the bead chain 59 between any 4 selected pair of adjacent beads, thus controlling the tension in the spring 57 when no traction is being applied and also controlling the traction pull when the device is in use.

The rear end of the rocker member 55 preferably provides an arcuate member 64 preferably of channel shape in cross section, the bottom of the channel being approximately an are drawn about the pivoting rivet 53 so as to maintain the lever arm of the rear portion of the rocker member 55 substantially constant and the bead chain 59 approximately centered in the opening of the support member 50 from which it extends. Additionally, a stop means is preferably provided to limit the spring-induced motion of the rocker member 55. Engagement between the end of the arcuate member 64 and the curved portion of the support member 50 may serve as a stop means as can engagement between the rocker member 55 and the bottom of the channel 65 formed by the arm 51 adjacent the bifurcations 52 thereof.

The turns of the spring 57 are preferably coated with latex or other resilient material to separate same from the inner wall of the support member 50 and prevent metal-to-metal scraping upon relative motion, particularly when the outer diameter of the spring is only slightly smaller than the inner wall of the support member.

The flexible and adjustable means connecting the forward end of the rocker member 55 to the headengaging device is preferably a bead chain 63 adjustably connected to the end of the rocker member. The latter is beveled and provides a forwardly opening slot 69 (Fig. 4) in a socket 70, the slot passing the wire connecting any adjacent pair of beads, the upper head of such pair resting in the socket 70. The lower end of the bead chain 68 may be directly connected to the upper section of the bail 39 or may be indirectly connected thereto by a quick-opening link 72.

The quick-opening link 72 may include a channel member 73 (see Figs. 2 and 3) open at its upper and front sides, this member having feet 74 riveted or otherwise secured to the bail 39. A bent-wire yoke 75 has out-turned ends 76 extending through opposed openings of the channel member 73, thus pivoting the yoke 75 about an axis AA which is forward of the line of pull of the bead chain 68 during application of traction. A link member 77 is pivotally mounted on a cross member 78 of the yoke 75 and carries a socket 79 receiving the lowermost bead of the bead chain 68. During application of traction, the bead chain 68 is held against the back of the channel member 73 but the link 72 can be opened by pulling forwardly on the bead chain just above the channel member 73 until the axis of the bead chain is displaced forwardly beyond the axis A-A, whereupon the yoke 75 swings upwardly into released position. A finger-receiving member 80, typically a washer, may be connected to or rest on a bead just above the channel member 73 and aids in grasping the bead chain either to pull it forwardly to release the link 72 or to pull it downwardly and rearwardly in closing the link after the head-engaging device 10 is in place. If desired, a spring 81 can be connected between the yoke 75 and the channel member 73 to bias the former toward closed position, shown in full lines in Fig. 3. This spring may be wrapped around one of the ends 76 of the yoke with the upper end of the spring anchored to the channel member 73 and the lower end looped around one arm of the yoke 75, as shown.

The upright support member 50 is preferably formed in sections detachably connected by a bayonet-type fitting 85 coacting between one section and a sleeve 86 secured to the other section, thus decreasing the space required in transporting the invention.

Additionally, the upright support member 50 preferably provides upper and lower chairengaging members 88 and 89 for detachably connecting it to the chair 14. The lower chair-engaging member 89 includes an angle member 90 on which the rear legs 15 of any chair may be positioned, the lower end of the upright hollow support member 50 being split and riveted to the angle member 90 as suggested in Fig. 5.

The upper chair-engaging member 88 is preferably vertically and laterally adjustable relative to the support member 50 to permit adjustment to chairs of different height and angle of back portion. Means for permitting such dual adjustment is shown as including a plate member 91 having a collar 92 surrounding and having an internal diameter slightly greater than the upright support member 50 so as to lock thereto when at an appropriate angle, see Fig. 6. The sides of the plate member 91 are turned downward, inward and upward to form two parallel tubular passages respectively receiving two rails 93 joined at 94 and having upwardly convex fingers 95 joined to the rails by oif-setting flexible arms 96 which angle downwardly from the plane of the rails 93 to dispose the fingers 95 below such plane. The elements 93-96, inclusive, may be formed of a single length of fairly heavy cylindrical stock, the fingers 95 being covered with lengths of rubber tubing 97 to prevent marring the chair when in pressural contact with an upper transverse portion 98 thereof. The rails 93 slide rather loosely in the parallel passages of the plate member but provide upwardly-facing notches 99 into which flattened portions 100 of the plate member 91 may extend when the forward portions of the rails are raised, thus automatically locking the rails at a selected transverse setting in the parallel tubular passages.

In connecting the device to a chair, the angle member 90 is slipped beneath the rear legs 15 of the chair. The rails are then adjusted in the parallel tubular passages until the upper section of the support member 50 is substantially vertical when the fingers 95 engage the upper transverse portion 98 of the chair or until the line of pull of the bead chain 68 is substantially parallel or coaxial with the patients spine. A single downward movement of the plate member 91, preferably by pressure applied to the forward portions of the rails 93, looks the entire structure. The first portion of such movement lowers the covered fingers 95 to engage the chair and continued movement flexes the arms 96 so that when the downward manual pressure is released, the arms 96 tend to lift the forward portions of the rails 93 and thus tip the plate member 91 into locking relationship with the support member 50 and also lock the rails in their selected setting relative to the parallel tubular passages.

The head-engaging device is then connected to the patients head by the patient or the technician, this being done while the bead chain 68 is connected to the rocker member 55, subsequent closing of the quick-opening link 72 applying the traction. If this link is not used or remains closed, the patient or technician pulls downwardly on the forward part of the rocker member and attaches a selected link of the link chain 68 thereto. Release of the forward part of the rocker member then applies the traction.

I claim as my invention:

1. A neck traction device removably connectable to the human head, said device including: a front jawengaging substantially flat member including a front U- shaped frame opening rearwardly and having two side members bridged forwardly of the jaw by a bridge rnember leaving the rear portions of the side members free, said front member including a jaw-engaging flexible element spanning said side members forwardly of said free rear portions thereof and being connected to said side members; a rear occiput-engaging member including a rear U-shaped frame opening forwardly and having two side members bridged back of the occiput area by a bridge portion leaving the front portions of such two side members of said rear frame free, there being an occiput-engaging flexible element spanning said last-named side members rearwardly of said free front portions thereof; means for detachably connecting the free rear portions of said side members of the front frame respectively to the free front portions of said rear frame to form an assembled structure enclosing a neck zone; and traction means for applying a force to said assembled structure to apply traction to the neck.

2. A neck traction device as defined in claim 1 in which said traction means includes a traction member connected to said assembled structure at the sides of said neck zone adjacent said detachably connecting means.

3. A neck traction device as defined in claim 1 in which said front and rear frames are disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to each other, and in which said means for detachably connecting said free rear portions to said free front portions of the respective frames comprises a latch means latching said frames together at said obtuse angle.

4. A neck traction device as defined in claim 3 in which said traction means includes a traction member connected directly to the side members of only one of said frames.

5. An'eck traction device adapted to make contact substantially exclusively with the jaw and occiput areas of the human head, said device including: front and rear members each including a bifurcated frame having a pair of arms extending on opposite sides of the head, said front and rear members respectively including jaw-engaging and occiput-engaging elements; means detachably connecting said front and rear members with the arms of the bifurcated frame of the rear member extending beneath and in contact with the flexible jaw-engaging element of 'the front member to form an assembled structure; and traction means including a bail connected to said assembled structure.

6. A neck traction device as defined in claim 5 in which the arms of the bifurcated frame of the rear member respectively extend substantially parallel to but in the space between the arms of the bifurcated frame of the front member.

7. A neck traction device adapted to make contact substantially exclusively with the jaw and occiput areas of the human head, said device including: front and rear members respectively including jaw-engaging and occiput-engaging flexible elements, at least one of said members including a U-shaped frame providing side members interconnected by a bridge member, the flexible element of such one of said members having portions secured to both such arms and to the bridge member, such flexible member being thus secured on three sides but providing a free side opposite said bridge member spanning said arms; means detachably connecting said front and rear members together to form an assembled structure; and traction means including a bail secured to said assembled structure.

8. A neck traction device as defined in claim 7 in which each of said members includes such a U-shaped frame providing side members interconnected by a bridge memher, the flexible element of each member having portions secured to both such arms and to the bridge member, and in which said means detachably connecting said front and rear members includes latch means detachably connectingthe arms of both frames.

9. A neck traction device including in combination: traction means including a bail having depending legs spaced to define a head-receiving zone; front and rear U-shaped frames each providing spaced arms and each including a flexible element spanning such spaced arms to form jaw-engaging and occiput-engaging elements, there being a pair of said arms on each side of said headreceiving zone; and means connecting said pairs of arms respectively to the depending legs of said bail.

10. A neck traction device as defined in claim 9 in which said connecting means includes means securing said legs of said bail to the spaced arms of one of said '7 frames and means detachably connecting the spaced arms of the other of said frames to said legs of said bail.

11. A neck traction device as defined in claim 9 in which said connecting meansincludes means securingsaid legs of said bail to the spaced arms of therear frame at a position inward from the ends of such arms to provide arm portions extending forwardly: of said legs, the arms of said rear frame being spaced closer together than the :arms of said front frame, said arm portions extending beneath the flexible element of said front frame, said arms of said front frame providing portions interlocking with said legs of said bail.

12. A neck traction device as defined in claim 9 in which said legsv of said bail provide inturned portions, and inwhich said connecting means includes means respectively connecting the arms of said rear frame and the arms of said front frame to said inturned portions of said bail.

13. A neck traction device as defined in claim 9 in which said connecting means includes clamp means attaching the arms of one of said frames to said depending legs and hook means for attaching the arms of the other of said frames to said depending legs.

14. A neck traction structure including in combination: a head-engaging device providing jaw-engaging and occiput-engaging elements and a traction-applying member connected thereto and providing a connection means above the head of the patient; an upright support member providing a pivot axis; a rocker member pivoted between its ends to swing about said pivot axis; a spring providing a lower end connected to said support member and an upper end connected to the rear end of said rocker member; and a flexible member interconnecting the front end of said rocker member and said connection means of said traction-applying member.

15. A neck traction structure as defined in claim 14 in which said upright support member is hollow, said spring being disposed within said hollow support memher, and including a tension member adjustably connecting the upper end of said spring to said rear end of said rocker member.

16. A neck traction structure as defined in claim 14 including a stop member carried by one of said rocker and support members and engaged by the other to limit the degree of rocking of said rocker member.

17. A neck traction structure as defined in claim 14 adapted for use while the patient is seated in a chair, said upright support member providing upper and lower chair-engaging members for detachably connecting said support member to said chair, and means on the support member for vertically and laterally adjusting one of said chair-engaging members relative to said support member.

18. A neck traction structure as defined in claim 14 in which said flexible member includes a plurality of projections along its length, and including bifurcated hook means connecting any selected one of said projections to said front end of said rocker arm.

19. A neck traction structure adapted for use while the patient is seated in a chair having rear legsand a back member, said structure including in combination: a head-engaging device providing jaw-engaging and occiput-engaging elements and a traction-applying member connected thereto; a single upright support member providing an upper end, a lower end and at least one chair-engaging member extending outward from said upright support member and removably attaching said support member to said back member of said chair; means anchoring said lower end of said upright support member to the rear legs of said chair; a tension spring; connection means connecting opposite ends of said spring respectively to said support member and to said tractionapplying member; and means" for varying the ellective length of said connection means for varying the pull ap-, plied by said spring to said traction-applying member for a given relative position of. such traction-applying member and said support member.

20. A neck traction structure adapted for use while the patient is seated in a chair, said structure including in combination: an upright support member providing at its lower end a flat substantially horizontal chair-legsupporting member positioned to be disposed between the floor and the rear legs of said chair; an upper chairengaging member adjustably positioned on said support member to engage an upper back portion of said chair; a rocker member pivoted to said upright support member; a head-engaging device providing jaw-engaging and occiput-engaging elements and a traction-applying member connected thereto; means connecting the forward end of said rocker member to said traction-applying member; and bias means positioned rearwardly of said chair comprising a spring connected to the rear end of said rocker member, said bias means applying an upward pull on said traction-applying member.

21. A neck traction structure as defined in claim 20 in which said rear end of said adjustable upper chairengaging member includes a member surrounding said upright support member movable therealong, and at least one chair-engaging arm, and means movably mounting said chair-engaging arm on said support-surrounding member to extend away from said support member an adjustable distance.

22. A neck traction structure as defined in claim 21 including two chair-engaging arms, said support-surrounding member including two passages extending laterally of said upright support member respectively slidably receiving said two chair-engaging arms to adjust the position of said upright support member with respect to said chair.

23. A neck traction structure including in combination: a head-engaging device providing a bail and jawengaging and occiput-engaging elements connected thereto; a hollow support member providing apassage open at its upper end; a rocker arm pivoted to said support member with its rear end above the open end of said passage; a tension spring in said passage; means connecting the lower end of said tension spring to said support member at a position within said passage; a tension member extending from the open upper end of said hollow support member, said tension member connecting the up per end of said spring to said rear end of said rocker member; and a second tension member connecting the forward end of said rocker 'member'to said bail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 511,350 Mohnring Dec. 26, 1893 761,504 Kleinbach May 31. 1904 913,127 Haas Feb. 23, 1909 1,675,552 Hawxnurst July 3, 1928 2,000,344 McClellan May 7, 1935 2,550,983 Ettinger May 1, 1951 2,633,125 Yellin Mar. 31, 1953 2,658,506 Haskell g Nov. 10, 1953 2,674,996 Stowell et al. Apr. 13, 1954 

